The present invention relates to a combined baler/bale wrapper for forming and wrapping a cylindrical bale of material in a wrapping material.
Baling of hay, straw, silage and other fibrous animal fodder crops is well known. Such crops may be formed into parallelepiped shaped bales or cylindrical bales. Parallelepiped bales may be relatively small bales which are typically referred to as rectangular bales, or relatively large bales which commonly are referred to as large square bales. Cylindrical bales are commonly referred to as round bales and typically are of diameter of 1.25 meters approximately and of axial length of approximately 1.25 meters. When grass has been baled to form silage, the bale must be wrapped, in order to seal the baled silage from air to allow the normal silage chemical fermentation process take place. Typically the wrapping material is a plastics film material having an adhesive coating on one side, and typically, is opaque to prevent light reaching the silage, and more commonly is of colour black, white or green.
In general, in the production of round bales, a baler is provided for forming the round bale, and the formed round bale is then deposited on the ground, typically, in the field from which the grass has been harvested. A bale wrapper then picks up the formed bale and wraps the bale in the film material. This, thus, requires two pieces of apparatus, the first being the baler, and the second being the bale wrapper. By virtue of the fact that two pieces of apparatus are required, two vehicles for towing and powering the respective apparatus are also required, and thus, in general, two tractors are required, one for towing and powering the baler, and the other for towing and powering the bale wrapper.
Attempts have been made to provide integral baler/bale wrappers and combination baler/bale wrappers. In the case *of integral baler/bale wrappers the baler is provided with a bale forming chamber within which the bale is formed. The bale forming chamber typically is formed by a lower segment and an upwardly moveable upper segment. When the bale has been formed in the bale forming chamber the upper segment is raised for exposing approximately half the bale, and a bale wrapping mechanism co-operates with the lower segment of the bale forming chamber for facilitating wrapping of the bale. Such baler/bale wrappers are disclosed in PCT Specification Nos. WO 97/18699, WO 00/36903 both of Kverneland, WO 96/08957 of Oiestad, WO 00/15023 of Bertrand, and German Patent Specification No. 38 05 224 of Schenke.
In the case of combination baler/bale wrappers, a baler and a bale wrapper are typically provided on a common platform, or on respective interconnected platforms, and the formed bale is transferred from the baler to the bale wrapper for wrapping. Such baler/bale wrappers are disclosed in European Patent Specification No. 0,983,720 of Grundero, and PCT Specification No. WO 99/04613 of Comtor.
In general, both integral baler/bale wrappers and combination baler/bale wrappers known heretofore suffer from a number of disadvantages. In general, integral baler/bale wrappers are slow and inefficient. The bale is formed and wrapped in the same chamber. Thus, the formation of the bale and its wrapping must be carried out simultaneously in the bale forming chamber. Accordingly, while a bale is being wrapped another bale cannot be formed until the wrapped bale has been discharged from the bale forming chamber, and the bale forming chamber has been re-formed. Additionally, due to the fact that the bale forming chamber must be split in order to allow wrapping of the bale to take place therein, an upper segment of the bale forming chamber is raised a relatively significant height from a lower segment in which the bale is rotated during wrapping, and thus, the overall height of such balers tends to be unacceptably high, and as such, such integral baler/bale wrappers tend to be relatively cumbersome.
In the case of combination baler/bale wrappers an additional transfer mechanism is generally required for transferring a formed bale from the baler to the bale wrapper. Such transfer mechanisms tend to be cumbersome and inefficient. In general, because of the arrangement of the baler and the bale transfer mechanism, and also because of the arrangement of the transfer mechanism and the bale wrapper, during transfer of the bale no other operation can take place. In other words, the baler cannot commence forming the next bale, and furthermore, the bale wrapping means must be disabled. Because of this, considerable time is lost during transfer of the bale from the baler to the bale wrapper. In general, the bale is discharged downwardly from the baler, and during downward discharge of the bale from the baler a rear tailgate of the baler is pivoted rearwardly upwardly for facilitating discharge of the bale from the baler. By virtue of the fact that the bale is discharged at a low level from the baler, the bale transfer mechanism must then raise the bale from the low level upwardly onto the bale wrapper. This requires that the tailgate remain in the open position until the bale has been transferred. Only after transfer of the bale can the tailgate be urged downwardly into the closed position. Thus, the baler must remain inoperative from the point of view of forming a bale for the entire period that the bale is being discharged from the baler, and also for the entire period during which the bale transfer mechanism is transferring the bale upwardly onto the bale wrapper. Furthermore, in general, the tailgate of the baler must remain in the open position until the transfer mechanism has returned to a lower position ready to receive the next bale. Otherwise, in many cases it is not possible to return the transfer mechanism to the lower position with the tailgate of the baler in the closed position. This, thus, significantly slows down the operation of such combined baler/bale wrappers.
A further disadvantage of combination baler/bale wrappers is that by virtue of the fact that a separate transfer mechanism is required for transferring the bale from the baler to the bale wrapper space is required between the baler and the bale wrapper for accommodating such transfer mechanism, and this, thus, tends to increase the overall length of combination baler/bale wrappers.
A further disadvantage of combination baler/bale wrappers is that in general, it is difficult to match the wrapping speed of the bale wrapper to the forming speed of the baler, and in general, the speed at which the bales are formed is significantly higher than the speed at which the bales are wrapped. This, thus leads to inefficiencies in that either the baler must be operated at a speed lower than its capability, or alternatively, must be allowed to idle between the forming of each bale to allow time for wrapping of the formed bale.
A still further disadvantage of combined baler/bale wrappers known heretofore is that the transfer means for transferring a formed bale from the baler to the bale wrapper is in many cases incapable of transferring the formed bale to the bale wrapper during downhill operation of the baler/bale wrapper. Thus, in practice, such baler/bale wrappers known heretofore in many cases are unsuitable for use in hilly areas.
Another type of baler/bale wrapper is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,822,967 of Vermeer. The baler/bale wrapper disclosed in this U.S. specification comprises a baler in which a bale is formed, and a separate bale wrapping area in which the formed bale is wrapped. However, the bale is transferred from the baler to the bale wrapping area by a portion of the baler which pivots rearwardly downwardly and carries the bale from the baler in a generally downwardly direction into the bale wrapping area. However, the portion of the baler which transfers the bale into the bale wrapping area is required for rotating the bale in the bale wrapping area during wrapping of the bale. Accordingly, this baler/bale wrapper tends to be relatively inefficient, in that a bale cannot be formed by the baler/bale wrapper while another bale is being wrapped. The baler/bale wrapper sequentially forms a bale and then wraps the bale before formation of the next bale can be commenced. Thus, this baler/bale wrapper tends to be inefficient.
Another type of combined baler/bale wrapper comprises a baler and a bale wrapper located on a common platform. The bale is formed in the baler and discharged from the baler in a generally downwardly direction. A tailgate of the baler is opened in a generally rearwardly upwardly direction for facilitating discharge of the bale from the baler. The bale is discharged from the baler onto a wrapping table of the bale wrapper, and when the bale has been received onto the wrapping table of the bale wrapper the table is urged in a generally upwardly rearwardly direction into a bale forming area where the bale is rotated on the wrapping table for wrapping of the bale in the bale wrapping area. This baler/bale wrapper would tend to be relatively complex, and by virtue of the fact that the wrapping table of the bale wrapper must be moved backwardly and forwardly between the baler and the bale wrapper would be subject to failure, and require relatively high maintenance. Furthermore, the baler/bale wrapper would tend to be relatively inefficient.
A further type of baler/bale wrapper comprises a baler and a bale wrapper located on a common platform. The bale is formed in the baler, and when formed the baler is urged in a generally rearwardly upwardly direction for discharging the bale downwardly from the baler onto the bale wrapper. When the bale has been discharged onto the bale wrapper, the baler is then urged forwardly downwardly into a bale forming position. By virtue of the fact that the baler must be moved rearwardly and forwardly on the platform, this baler/bale wrapper would be relatively complex and would tend to require significant maintenance. Additionally, this type of baler/bale wrapper would tend to be relatively inefficient.
There is therefore a need for a baler/bale wrapper which overcomes these problems.